Microsoft backs Novell’s Suse Linux platform

The agreement announced Thursday between the world’s largest seller of patent-protected software and a leader in the open-source software movement has potentially important business, technical and legal implications.

The alliance is primarily aimed at the growing number of major companies and government agencies that rely on elements of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft’s Windows and Linux to run their computers

Microsoft’s patent waiver only applies to users of the Suse Linux platform